The 5 most exciting takeaways from Disney’s D23 convention
Morgan Sample | Presentation Director
The announcements made at the D23 expo included new original content as well as spinoffs and sequels for Disney fans.
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This weekend, Disney held its annual D23 fan expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. Throughout the weekend, fans heard announcements about the upcoming projects from Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Studios and Pixar, along with updates to the Disney theme parks.
From trailers for forthcoming films, new titles for movies and shows and some major directing and casting decisions, Disney gave fans a ton of new content to be excited about. Here are some projects to look forward to:
Strange World:
Many of Disney’s announcements were sequels, spin-offs or remakes. But one of the most intriguing projects was original —“Strange World.” Coming out on Nov. 23, this film will center around the Clades, a family of three generations of explorers learning to work together in order to save a new planet full of danger.
While presenting the film, the director Don Hall called it a “story of family [and] the strong desire to leave them a better world,” but didn’t want to reveal too much about the plot at the convention, he said.
During the presentation, fans were treated to an extended look at the film, which was described by reports as showcasing each member of the featured Clade family, giving the audience a closer look at each of the main characters.
The family in question is full of familiar voices. Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union and Lucy Liu all provided voice work for the film that looks to be a fun thrill ride for people of all ages.
Werewolf by Night:
For the past few years, Marvel has been trying to introduce more elements of horror into their storytelling. While recent TV shows and movies have had some moments that could be considered “chilling,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has yet to really go all in on the horror genre.
That is all expected to change this October with the release of the Halloween special “Werewolf by Night.” The short film is going to be directed by legendary film composer Michael Giacchino. From the trailer that was shown at D23 and then released online, we saw black and white footage that seems to pay homage to the classic horror movies of the 1920s and 30s.
The title card, score and cinematography also give off a gothic vibe that can best be described as “George Romero-Esque.” Romero is best known for legitimizing the horror genre and for humanizing even the scariest monsters. Based on the trailer, it is unclear if the film takes place in the current MCU timeline or is even a part of the current Multiverse story at all. Despite that, this project is very intriguing and unlike anything Marvel has ever done before, making it a must-watch this Halloween.
Tales of the Jedi:
Besides the movies, one of the most popular pieces of “Star Wars” content ever created is the TV series, “The Clone Wars.” The series’ success can be attributed to the never before seen look it gave to fans on the classic characters and the “Star Wars” timeline. Executive producer Dave Filoni revolutionized the Star Wars franchise through animation and is back at it with a new limited series, “Tales of the Jedi.”
This anthology series will tell new stories about fan favorites Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku throughout parts of their lives fans have not yet seen. Filoni wrote all six episodes of this miniseries which will likely focus a lot on the backstory of Tano, before her own live-action series debuts in 2023.
The trailer that was shown at D23 featured new adventures for Tano and Dooku, as well as beloved characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Qui Gon Jinn. Along with their iconic characters, Ashley Eckstein (Tano), Liam Neeson (Jinn), Matt Lanter (Skywalker) and Corey Burton (Dooku) will be providing voice work once again. Filoni has been very successful with the “Star Wars” television series in the past and “Tales of the Jedi” looks to provide fans with more memorable storylines and moments for beloved characters.
Secret Invasion:
Of the MCU Disney+ television series coming in 2023, little was known about spy-thriller “Secret Invasion.” All of that changed at D23 where fans were treated to a new trailer for the show which prominently features series lead Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
The show will center around Fury as he builds a team of spies to take on the Skrulls, an alien species who can take the form of any lifeform seamlessly. Fury’s team will consist of a few Marvel mainstays such as Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, along with some notable actors joining the MCU including Emmy Award winner Emila Clarke and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman.
From the footage we’ve seen, the show will have many elements of classic spy stories including deception, espionage and a general lack of trust for any character in the show. In addition to being a fun and mysterious spy drama, “Secret Invasion” also looks to be playing a pivotal role in the future of the MCU.
The Mandalorian Season 3:
Since its inception in 2019, Disney+’s most popular piece of content has been “The Mandalorian.” Naturally, the third season of the hit show has been highly anticipated and D23 finally gave fans a first look.
Season three will follow the events of “The Book of Boba Fett” from 2021 as series lead Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, heads to the planet Mandalore for a new adventure. The trailer also prominently featured Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze who looks to be the lead antagonist of the series.
While we do not know too much about the overall plot, it seems as though Djarin and Kryse will be facing off for the throne of Mandalore. In addition to Pascal and Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris and Giancarlo Esposito are all confirmed to reprise their roles in season three; legendary actor Christopher Lloyd is also set to join the cast.
With the future of Star Wars movies unclear, the television shows have been an absolute delight to watch for the fans, and season three of “The Mandalorian” seems to be continuing that trend.
Published on September 12, 2022 at 10:59 pm
